Full Circle
by avadakedavras
Summary: AJ Lee/Justin Gabriel. When Nexus formed he was forced to break her heart. Months have passed, Nexus is over and now he wanted her back. He wanted to tell her that he never stopped loving her. He wanted a second chance- no, he needed a second chance.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hello, hello! So this story has been an idea of mine for a while. It's been hanging in the air for a really long time and if you've seen CrazyKindaAmazing's AJ/Justin video 'Last Stand', requested by yours truly; I finally had enough muse to finish what I started! That video is exactly how I envisioned some of this fic and I'm so glad she made the video for me. It's absolutely beautiful and I love it to pieces so check it out if you have the time :)

And 'scuse me if my writing's crap, it's been a really long time since I wrote a legit fanfic lol. I'm a bit rusty but what can you do? So I'll try. I'M TRYING. I think this will be around 7-10 chapters, depending :3

Anyways I'mma dedicate this prologue to my lovelies in this RP I'm in. The wonderful people who ship the beauty that is AJustin 3 I love you guys! Without yer support and stuffs I don't think I would've bothered to write :3

DON'T FORGET TO READ AND REVIEW :3

**Summary:** AU-ish. When Nexus formed he was forced to break her heart. He had to rip it out of her chest and threw it on the ground. Months have passed and Nexus is over and he wanted her back. He wanted to tell her that he never stopped loving her. He wanted a second chance- no, he needed a second chance. AJ Lee/Justin Gabriel.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing mk.

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><p><strong>PROLOGUE<strong>

'_It's killing me, killing me; I'm the one who made you leave...'_

**May 2010 – **_**FCW Arena**_

'_You need to break up with her.'_

Wade's voice circled through his head a billion times as he sat in the FCW male locker room. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he hutched over in his seat with his elbows digging into his knees and he ran a hand through his dark hair. He didn't know what to do right now. He felt so dizzy like if he were to stand he would collapse or throw up.

As his eyes closed he could envision her in his head; her long dark brown hair, her brown eyes, her tan complexion and that smile that had made him weak in the knees. Every. Single. Time.

His hand moved from his head to his face, holding his palm against his eyes. The pain within his chest was so unbearable, so agonizing, the thought of walking away from her, something he silently vowed he would never, ever do, was piercing through him quite densely. He didn't want to fucking do it.

The locker room slammed open as the torn South African looked up coming face to face with _her_ best friend. Trent Barreta was red in the face as he looked at him, disbelief etched across his face which only meant one thing to the man sitting on the bench.

He knew.

"What the fuck, man?" Trent hissed immediately barging into the room as the torn man moments ago stood up from his spot. "I overfuckingheard Heath and Otunga talking about how you were told to break up with her. What the fuck is going on, dude?"

Justin Gabriel looked at Trent unable to form words. His heart was breaking all over again at the thought. It had to happen, he kept telling himself. To protect her from what he was about to become once he got called up. To protect her from the stable that would become the Nexus.

"I got called up," he mumbled in reply, his voice thick with his South African accent. "All of us from NXT season 1."

Trent stared at him waiting for him to continue and Justin sighed softly. "We're getting called up and I need to break up with her."

"Why?"

It was such a small word yet so powerful and it caught Justin off –guard even if he expected it. He just... didn't have the heart to say why so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"I can't have any distractions."

He turned his back on the New Yorker, shutting his eyes tightly. He hoped to god that Trent had bought that shit because what just came out of his mouth, he had a hard time believing.

"So you're just going to break her?" Trent spoke in distaste, shaking his head at him. "What? You're suddenly all high and fucking mighty because you're getting called up? You don't want to be tied down and shit while you're on the road? Fucking bullshit, Paul."

Fuck. Real named.

Justin turned back around and stared at the fury that was in the other man's eyes. This was no longer a conversation between Justin Gabriel and Trent Barreta. This was personal now, no longer business. It was now a conversation between Paul Llovd Jr. and Greg Marasciulo.

"Back off, Greg." Justin said firmly. Before Trent shoved him, "Fuck no. I am not going to let you fucking break her. She loves you more than I have ever seen her love someone and you're just going to drop her like that? I don't play that."

"You don't fucking get it!" the South African snapped, shoving Trent back with a harder force. "I have no fucking choice. I love her more than the fucking air I breathe but I can't-"

"Why the fuck not? Nothing changes! You're just on a fucking brand while she's stuck here. Nothing. Fucking. Changes!" Trent exclaimed trying to wrap his head around it. He refused to see her cry because of the former FCW Heavyweight Champion. He refused to watch her break because of Justin. She had fully given Justin her heart ever since she stepped foot into development nine months ago. Trent had seen them struggle yet fall so deeply in love with each other he knew that once Justin broke her, she was going to crumble into pieces.

"Everything changes!" Justin yelled back, raising his fist as if he were to hit Trent but stopped before he could. Lowering his hand, Justin moved away and instead, grabbed his duffel bag and threw it across the room in frustration, startling Trent in the process. "I can't tell you why because you wouldn't understand but you need to promise me that you're going to take care of her after tonight." he whispered brokenly. His voice wavered in pain, knowing that he only had a couple more hours with her before he had to end it.

The man before him had gone quiet and Justin shut his eyes, sitting back down on the bench and ran his hands over his tired face. "She's my world, Greg. But the path I'm taking with the guys, I can't bring her down with me. I don't expect you to understand where I'm coming from but please... please, I'm fucking begging you. Take care of her for me."

Trent watched as the usual happy-go-lucky superstar start to fall apart in front of him but that still didn't mean he was off the hook. He was pissed off. "Of course I will. She's going to be fucking broken and I'll be damned if I let her suffer." The venom laced in his voice had made Justin go silent. But just as long as he knew she was going to be taken care of was enough for him. He knew he was going to break her heart. All he wanted though was someone like Trent to pick her back up and help her get back on track.

And forget him all together.

Before he could speak, a knock was heard from the door and Trent opened it coming face to face with the subject of he and Justin's conversation.

AJ.

"Oh, hey Greg, is Paul here?" the petite diva asked with a smile on her face. Trent had such the urge to blurt out what he had just found out before he leaned his head against the doorframe and kept that piece of info to himself. For now. "Yeah, he's in here."

Justin's eyes locked with Trent's, silently grateful that the one half of the FCW tagteam champions didn't say anything about him breaking up with her. Giving him a slight nod, Justin stood up and let out a small smile when he saw the love of his life, his girlfriend, heading towards him.

"Hey, beautiful." he greeted softly, pressing his lips to her forehead, savouring the feel of her in his arms. His entire reason of existing was currently in his arms. April Jeanette Mendez or rather, AJ Lee to the whole entire world, was his everything. This tiny girl from Union City, New Jersey was the love of Paul Lloyd Jr's life. Nine months, twelve days, five hours his whole world was turned around because of the one girl who knew him better than he knew himself.

He couldn't even begin to tell you how in love he was with her. She was everything he could ever ask for, an angel sent down from his father or something, to love someone who loved him back just as much.

"Stop calling me that." she scrunched up her nose at the nickname and he chuckled, kissing her nose. "Nah, I don't think I will. What brings you by?" he asked her.

AJ shrugged and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers toying with the hair on the back of his head, "I just wanted to see you. This morning you were in a rush to meet up with Wade and the guys that I didn't get to see you when I woke up." She had slept over at his place like she always did in the last five months and she woke up to an empty house with only her Chihuahua, Nacho Cheese, staring at her from the foot of the bed.

"Oh." Justin didn't really know what else to say, he and the guys went out to Denny's to discuss their plans for Nexus. It was then Wade also told Justin to break up with AJ and congratulated Sheffield for breaking up with Rosa just last week. (It resulted in Rosa being a sobbing mess for two days straight, she and Skip had been dating for a couple of months now.) "I just went out to breakfast with the guys. We talked about a couple of stuff, the usual." Hearing Trent snort in the background, Justin's hazel eyes looked at the man with a glare as if to say the New York native shouldn't say anything.

"You and the guys have been talking an awful lot." she noted, her eyes flickering up towards his. "Everything okay?"

At that moment it was as if his heart stopped beating. The air that he had easily breathed in had been knocked right out of his chest.

"We need to talk."

His face grew hot, his heart breaking into pieces as he recalled the talk he had with the guys. He had to break her. He had to do this for her own safety, to protect her, to keep up with the persona to who he was about to become.

"Greg, can you give April and I a minute?" He looked at Trent who stood frozen in his tracks, knowing what was about to transpire. Keeping his eyes on Trent never once breaking the gaze he silently pleaded with him to leave because he couldn't do this with him in the room.

Finally, after a couple more seconds, Trent nodded slowly before looking at AJ, "April, if you need me I'm down at catering, okay?" AJ nodded softly and cuddled into her boyfriend, holding him tightly as Justin tried to remember the curve of her body against his. Remember her scent, her voice, her smile... everything. It needed to be etched inside his memory forever because he wouldn't have this anymore in a couple of minutes.

Once he left, Justin looked down at her, cupping her face with one of his hands as he traced the bags under her eyes with the pad of his thumb. Even if she looked tired she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He had seen so many girls, been with a couple but none of them ever compared to her. None of them compared to her wit, her smarts, and her beauty.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked breaking his thoughts. His eyes looked straight into her brown ones as he pressed his forehead against her, finding it hard to breathe at that moment. "Can we sit?" he asked and brought her to the bench. He sat down and brought her on his lap, holding her close to him like his life depended on it. This was the last time he would ever get to say he loved her, to hear her say she loved him. The last time she would ever be in his arms and sit on his lap.

She looked at him expectantly, a confused look plastered across her face. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Closing his eyes he rested his forehead against her shoulder. "I love you." he muttered in response as his voice cracked. "I love you so, so much, April." He looked up at her, seeing a small smile make their way across her lips, "I love you too, Paul. You know I do." she replied back before that smile became a frown, "What's wrong?"

"I'm..." he started, unable to touch her as his hands fell to his sides resting on the bench below him. "I... love you but... I can't do this anymore."

It was like his whole world just crashed. Seeing her crest-fallen face the moment those words left his mouth. "Wh..what?" she choked out as her arms unwrapped themselves around him and she looked at him in disbelief. "You... you can't... do what... anymore?"

Shutting his eyes tightly, he refused to look at her but the only way she would believe that this was real was if he looked straight into her eyes.

"Us."

He was pretty sure he could see her heart fall to the floor as tears started to well in her eyes. His own heart fell apart, knowing that he was the reason why she was crumbling before him.

"Baby..." he whispered subconsciously, longing to hold her as her head snapped up and she shook in fury. "Don't!" she hissed. She stood up from his lap and looked at him, tears cascading down her face. "_Don't_ call me that!" He had no right anymore.

"April, just listen to me please-" Justin was interrupted by a slap to the face, a tiny hand shaking in front of him as AJ covered her mouth unable to believe that she just did that.

"I don't want to hear what you have to say!" she choked out, her whole body erupting into light sobs. "You just _told me you loved me_ and now you're telling me you can't fucking do this anymore! What did I do wrong? Was I just not good enough for you anymore? Did you get sick of me? Is there someone-" she paused and shook her head not wanting to finish her sentence. She looked down on the ground and shook her head. "You know what?" she laughed bitterly, "I don't want to hear it. Goodbye, Paul."

With that said she started to head for the door. His heartstrings tugged and longed for her to hold her and tell her that he was kidding or something to make her not walk away. "April-"

"You know," she started, ignoring his words as her hand gripped the door handle tightly. "Today the girls were arguing about the fact that you and the guys have been really distant as of late. Rosa kept telling me that what Skip did to her, you would do to me. Most of the girls agreed, but I defended you. I said that you loved me too much to ever do such a thing." Letting out a shaky sigh and sniffed back her tears, she looked at him through her blurry eyes, "But they were right." Opening the door she took one last look at him, "Have a nice life, Justin Gabriel."

He watched her walk out the door, his feet made no movement to follow her and beg for her forgiveness. Tears stung in his eyes and he closed them tightly, covering them with the palms of his hands. He tried to comprehend it all and ignore he agonizing pain inside his chest. He didn't know how long he stood there for until he felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his jeans and he took it out seeing a text message from Wade.

'_Saw her crying... you did it, right? Sorry, man. It's strictly for business purposes. We're meeting up with Vince later to discuss some things, see you in two hours.' _

Justin stared at his phone, his eyes trailing over 'business purposes' for a few seconds before he grew frustrated and threw his phone against the wall, hearing it crack and thud to the ground. Sitting on the bench he found himself back into the same position he was before, but this time tears streaming down his face, only one thing going through his mind repeatedly for the whole night:

'_I'm so sorry April. I'm so fucking sorry.'_

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><p><strong>AN:** THAT WAS TERRIBLE. I APOLOGIZE. Like I said I'm still trying to get into the swig of things_._ It will get better. Promise. Anyways pl0x read and review :3


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi there! I'm sorry for the late update, since this got posted my laptop died and I had to get it fixed and once it got fixed I got swamped with school work. I'm in my last semester before my internship so I've been all over. But here I am with an update! Haha. Okay this chapter may be a little weird. It's actually, separated into two parts. This chapter focuses on Justin the first time he sees AJ since the break-up and then the next chapter will focus on AJ seeing Justin for the first time since the break-up as well. And then after these two parts are done, we will fast forward to when AJ first debuted on Smackdown. LOL. It makes sense in my head but anyways. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS/ALERTS. It means a lot to me :D

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 1 - HIM<strong>

'_Miss you the most when I sleep, turn the nightmares into dreams...'_

**September 2010 - _NXT/Smackdown Area_  
><strong>

"Welcome to Season 3 of WWE NXT!"

His eyes were casted on the screen before him, his arms crossed over his chest as the murmur of the TV reached his ears. It had been four months. After being in development for two more weeks after that fateful day, he hadn't seen her since then.

He had changed. He was no longer smiles; his time in Nexus had changed his persona completely. When he talked he sounded dead and harsh, the gleam in his eyes from when he was in FCW was no longer there, it was like a dark cloud hung over his head the moment she left him alone in that locker room four months ago.

When he had gotten home that night four months ago, everything that was hers was gone. Pictures of them turned down, no sound of her Chihuahua barking whenever someone was at the door, her scent lingered in the air and he shut his eyes tightly wanting it to forever stay in the air because he didn't want to forget. The reason of his entire being these past nine months was gone.

And she was never coming back.

"What are you watch- oh." The South African's eyes moved from the TV towards the sound of his best friend's voice.

Daniel Bryan had been his best friend since the American Dragon stepped foot into FCW. They had grown closer during NXT and Daniel had been by his side after the break up. When Nexus formed Justin clung onto the man from Aberdeen, Washington. Even when Nexus "exiled" Daniel from the group for showing remorse for the havoc they ensued on RAW, Daniel was there. If it weren't for Daniel, Justin was certain he would've spiraled down into a darker world.

"I miss her." Justin mumbled darkly, running his hand through his lighter hair. He had changed it to fit his new role. He missed his black hair, though. The same black hair she would run her fingers through and tell him that if he ever changed it, she would complain until the end of time.

Sometimes he would imagine her walking through his front doors and telling him to change his hair but then he'd remember that she would no longer walkthrough said doors. The only thing he had of her left were pictures of them, her old text messages that he managed to still revive from his old phone, he would call her voicemail just to hear her voice, or watch FCW. When he did a clean sweep of his house, putting pictures of them in boxes to hide away in his closet for the rest of forever he had managed to find one of her hair ties in the bathroom. That hair tie was forever situated on his wrist ever since he found it.

He never took it off.

Daniel looked at his friend and nodded solemnly, patting the South African's shoulder softly. "I know." Justin was so closed off from everyone now and it was all because of that one person who filled his life with happiness and love was no longer around.

"She's on NXT this season..." Justin started, his eyes never once leaving the screen as he anticipated her introduction. "They're doing an all divas NXT season. Found out through Alex... not directly, I overheard him talking to Derrick about it."

Daniel's eyebrows raised at the newfound knowledge, "Yeah? Who's her pro?" he asked curiously. Justin's eyes lowered as he thought about her pro, his face showing distaste for the name that was about to escape his lips.

"Primo."

The moment Primo's name reached Daniel's ears, said NXT 3 pro's theme started to play through the speakers of the TV.

"Ugh." Justin's eyes moved away from the TV as he tried to erase the thought of Primo being all over her. In his mind she still belonged to him, she still loved him and he never broke her heart. "I shouldn't be jealous; we're over." he spoke and sat down in a chair, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You had no choice." Daniel replied sympathetically and pulled over a chair as he sat beside him, "You still love her. It's obvious."

"To everyone but her." Sighing loudly Justin looked to the ground, his hand immediately going to his wrist as he snapped the black hair tie around it. It was a habit he had picked up over the last couple of weeks. The pain in his wrist was bearable compared to the pain he was still feeling in his heart. When it came to his emotions Justin was never one to share them; prior to Nexus, Justin in the ring was different than the Justin out of it. When it came to work he was Justin but behind closed doors? He was just Paul.

The moment he saw her on the screen he found himself mesmerized by how beautiful she looked. The grey dress clung onto her petite body snugly, her hair was long and straight, and he couldn't help but chuckle when he saw a pair of heels on her feet. Those were probably the only pair of heels she owned, she was never one to wear them because she was a walking hazard. He always told her she should have a warning sign on her forehead, always earning a light slap on the chest and then a kiss to where she hit him.

"She looks happy." Justin noted. Daniel looked at him like he was crazy, "Her smile looks forced." he retorted.

"It doesn't." Justin replied back.

"It does."

"She's happier without me."

"Bullshit."

Silence overcame the two as Justin's eyes fixated back on the screen. Primo's voice filled his ears as he heard him talk about his ex-girlfriend.

Staring at Justin, Daniel ran a hand through his hair and looked at Primo on the screen as he and AJ strutted down the ramp. "He's ugly." he started, hoping to lighten up his best friend's mood. "He also sucks donkey dick and he's going nowhere in his career. I mean DZP? Really? Ryder's better off alone."

Daniel continued, "Carlito basically carried him when they were tag champs. He's useless. Insignificant. I don't even know why he's a pro. I SHOULD BE A PRO. I'd be amazing, don't you think? I'd bury everyone cause I'm so great. I'm the fucking King of Submission Wrestling. I'm so damn awesome and yes, I just called myself awesome. Mizzy can suck it."

A chuckle escaped the South African's lips, "You're the best, you know that right?" Daniel was the only person who could get through his defences and be the only person who could cheer him up. Daniel was patient, understanding, and just... a wonderful friend to him. He didn't know what would've become of him if it weren't for Daniel.

"I know."

Both men looked at the screen before Justin reached for the remote and turned off the TV. "I can't... even watch her without wanting to find her and beg for forgiveness. Fucking beg, dude. I don't beg." he grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Every day... I miss her. I think back to when I hurt her and I just... she's my whole damn world. After all this time..." Burying his head into his hands, the heartbroken Nexus member shut his eyes tightly. "But she hates me... I've called her. I've texted her... Greg won't talk to me. No one in FCW will talk to me. I'm dead to all of them."

"Hey now..." Daniel started and shook his head, "That isn't true."

"It's not?" Justin countered back, gripping his hair in frustration. "Derrick and Johnny, two who have been like brothers to me since I stepped foot into development three years ago haven't spoken to me in months. Angela and Maxine who I considered little sisters because of April, have cut me out of their lives for good. If I go visit I get the damn silent treatment. I have to overhear conversations about what goes on down there because no one will fucking talk to me. Face it Daniel, I'm dead to all of them." He was so isolated from everyone. The only people he talked to now were Daniel, Nexus and occasionally, Cena.

"You are not." Daniel protested, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You were only doing what was right. You didn't want to hurt her-"

"But I did!" It ate him alive inside knowing that he had and he would never forgive himself for hurting her; thinking that he was doing the right thing by breaking up with her, following Wade's order because it would be good for the group. Standing up, Justin shook his head and headed for the door. "Even after all these months she's still the one person that haunts me in my sleep. When we're out with the guys and girls are throwing themselves at us, I don't want _any_ of them all I want is her..." Letting out a frustrated sigh he ran a hand over his face. "I need some air."

"Let me-" Daniel was interrupted as Justin raised his other hand, "I'll be okay. I just need to be alone right now." He knew he was pushing his best friend away but he just needed to be alone. He needed to shake how he was feeling at that moment because if he didn't it was going to bother him for the rest of the night. Maybe it was the image of her when he saw her on TV, all he knew was that his heart was constricting inside his chest painfully and it was because he didn't have her.

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah... I'll see you later, okay?" With that said, the South African left the locker room, his mind spinning a million times per second. He needed air, he kept telling himself. Maybe leave the arena early if he wasn't needed. He just needed to get away.

Pushing open the aluminum doors he leaned against the brick wall and took out the phone in his back pocket. He turned it on, the light flashing in his face as he looked at the wallpaper, her smiling, giddy face as his lips were on her cheek.

It was stupid, really. Having her as his iPhone background. He couldn't help it though. When he got his new phone after destroying the other one the night they broke up, he got a new phone and plugged it into his computer. Pictures of him and her had filled his screen, his facebook page spammed with pictures their friends had taken. He had taken all the pictures of them together from his computer, leaving all but one into an 8GB USB stick. He had thrown the stick into the box that was sitting in the back of his closet, collecting dust for the past four months.

But it was that one picture that he had to keep on his computer, the one picture that he put on his phone and could never delete. It was a picture of them back in February, the day she won the Queen of FCW crown. They had just finished a taping for FCW and she was over the moon. He had given her time, time to get the congratulations from everyone in the locker room and he stayed off to the side, a smile on his face as he watched his girlfriend beam in happiness. By the time she got to him she jumped into his arms and giddily kissed his face in sheer joy. He accepted the kiss, and then smothered her in kisses as well, not hearing the shutter go off from Angela's Blackberry. It was when they were all out for dinner the same night that the Canadian showed the couple the picture she took and sent it to both of them.

To this day it was his favourite picture. Back to when they were happy, back to when they were in love. Back to when he didn't break her heart because of work.

His phone lit up and vibrated in his hand, a message popping up onto the screen.

'_Where r u?' _

Heath.

Rolling his eyes, Justin rested his head back against the brick wall, shoving his phone into his pocket and just stood outside lost in thought. He just didn't want to deal with anything right now.

And soon enough minutes turned into an hour and his phone started to vibrate non-stop. A loud sigh escaped his lips as he pulled it out and ran a hand down his tired face as he saw messages from Daniel, Wade, and another message from Heath.

'_Man, come 2 catering. Laurinaitis needs 2 talk 2 us.'_

He stared at the message, contemplating on whether or not he should go. Picking up his feet he unwillingly trudged his way back into the arena, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweater once he pushed open the doors and walked down the hallway.

Walking towards catering he could hear the hustle and bustle of the backstage production crew at the gorilla making sure NXT was going well. Justin rolled his eyes not missing how hectic NXT got backstage and looked to the ground, wanting to be anywhere but where he was at that moment. He didn't even know why he was going to catering, he didn't want to anyway. It's not like Laurinaitis had anything to say to them. The dude was useless like gum on the bottom of someone's shoe.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize a group of divas come out down the gorilla steps. Or a distracted petite brunette, trying to take off her heels as he bumped into her.

"Oh shit, sorry." he spoke when she fell to the ground and he helped her up as he heard her laugh lightly. "It's okay I wasn't looking where I was-"

Her voice stopped and he furrowed his eyebrows wondering why she had but the moment he saw who he had bumped into it was like his whole world stopped.

Just like it had a year and a half ago when he first laid eyes on the girl from Union City.

April.

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><p><strong>AN:** Dun dun dunn. Haha. I hope you guys like this chapter, it's probably one of my favourites thus far (lol there are only two but yes, I like this chapter a lot). Next chapter we get AJ's POV since the break up.

Don't forget to review and favourite and alert ;)


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